She's Got A New Addiction (For Every Day And Night)
by XSilverLiningsX
Summary: [Modern Superheroes AU, Part 7: Prequel, E/K, F/L] Once upon a time, there was a girl that loved animals; too bad most animals didn't quite feel the same.
1. Chapter 1

"C'mere Shire! Kitty, come here!"

 _Mreow!_

At 17 years old, Evie was just your average high school senior. She did very well in all of her classes, currently was the President of the Chess Club, and held pride in her position as the All-Star Captain of her school's Co-Ed Badminton team.

"I'm not scary, don't worry!"

 _Mreooow!_

Like almost every girl her age, Evie also loved animals – particularly cats and birds.

"I'm not going to do anything to you! Please, come down! You too, Kayna!"

 _Mreow- **hissss**_!

Unfortunately, animals generally didn't return her feelings.

Shire, a male tabby, ignored the girl calling out his name and groomed himself from where he was sitting high up in a tall tree. Lounging lazily next to the tabby was a white cat with a red bow tied around her neck; that was Kayna, who belonged to her friend Fiona.

A large shadow passed over Evie's head, and _something_ plucked both cats out of the tree before landing on the ground in front of her with a heavy thump that sent the schoolgirl sprawling onto the ground.

The cats _meowed_ and nuzzled happily at the man holding them.

Evie stared.

Ripping muscles barely held in check by the sleeveless black t-shirt, coffee-hued skin, and wild hair spiked up into a striking hairstyle.

"Um, excuse me? Thank you very much for getting them out of the tree, but I need to take them home now." Evie inched towards the man, feeling nervousness curling in her stomach.

Under the mass of hair, bushy eyebrows and squinty eyes _glared_ menacingly at her. Evie felt a chill pass her by, before it disappeared completely with little fanfare. Before she could say anything else, however, the man took off in a sprint and disappeared around a street corner rather quickly for someone who looked like he bench-pressed two-tons of solid metal every day.

Evie tore her gaze away from the street corner the strange man had disappeared around when two questioning _mreows_ and two pairs of claws scratched at her bare legs. She picked up both cats with a huff.

"C'mon kitties, let's go—"

The cats immediately started struggling and scratching her arms and face.

"Whyyy?! You two were nice to _him_!"

* * *

"—and he was so tall and muscular, like one of those superheroes on TV!" Evie talked and chewed at the same time in excitement, spraying sandwich crumbs all over the coffee table.

"Mhm."

"His skin was dark too, like mocha or chocolate! I wonder if he's from Malina? Or is Malina just all tanned bikini babes?"

"Mhm."

"Maybe he's a transfer student? He looked older than me, but not as old as you. He was just… _big_! His shoulders were like watermelons! Bigger than watermelons!"

"Mhm."

"You're not listening to me, are you?"

"Mhm."

"Kai! Please, I need some feedback here!"

Twenty-two and just about done with his younger sister's hour-long rant about some boy she just met, Kai looked up from his laptop with an impassive look. "You don't even know him, and you saw him _once_."

Evie deflated and stuffed the rest of her turkey-and-cheese sandwich into her mouth with a pout. "Che wusth stho handthshom dhou!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting."

"You're disgusting!" Evie swallowed her food and then stuck out her tongue as she climbed over the couch, purposely kicking her older brother in the head before falling onto the floor in a sprawl.

Evie simply lied there on the carpet for a few moments before saying, "If I see him again, do you think I have a chance?"

"The secret to a lasting marriage is to keep his stomach full and his balls empty."

"THAT'S NASTY! WHY THE FUCK! I AM **NEVER** TALKING TO YOU AGAIN, YOU PERVERT!" Her face tomato-red in embarrassment, Evie slapped the back of her brother's head several times before running full-pelt into her bedroom and slamming the door.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing that came out of Lann's mouth the next morning before class started was, "Nice battle wounds, Evie. You look like some Yakuza boss!"

Lann got two slaps to the back of his head: one from Evie, and one from his girlfriend.

"Ignore him. Thanks for bringing Kayna back even after she'd scratched you all over, Evie." From her perch on top of a student desk, Fiona munched on a banana-and-oatmeal power bar.

Evie huffed a laugh and puffed up her chest. "It was nothing! I love animals, so I don't mind!"

Their 5th period teacher, Mr. Gilliam, strode into the classroom just as the bell rang and everyone scrambled into their seats.

"Quiet." The class went silent. "Now, before I pass out the instructions and rubrics for your senior projects, there is a transfer student joining us today. Treat him with the same respect you all give to your fellow peers. Please, come in."

The door opened and Evie sat up straighter in her seat when the student walked in. It was the man from yesterday! Well, apparently he wasn't actually quite a man yet, since he still was a student, but the way he towered above Mr. Gilliam and his muscles looked as if they were going to burst out from the confines of his too-small school uniform.

"His name is Karok Cestus, and he transferred to Rocheste from Crescent Moon Island after their only school shut down. Mr. Cestus, please take the empty seat next to Miss Corona. Miss Corona, please raise your hand."

Evie raised her hand and tried not to blush when Karok turned his menacing stare on her. When Karok sat down in the chair next to her, the chair creaked dangerously from the weight but thankfully held. Evie waited for Mr. Gilliam to start lecturing before turning to Karok and smiling brightly.

"Hey, thanks for helping me yesterday with the cats! I'm almost jealous, since they seemed to like you a lot. For some reason, they don't like me. See?" Evie pointed at the scratches on her face with a cheeky grin.

Karok's glare didn't lessen in intensity when he turned to look at her, but Evie had a lifetime of experience of dealing with intimidating glares from her older brother and thus was completely unaffected by it.

"…No problem."

Inwardly, Evie swooned.

The moment the bell signaling the end of class and the beginning of the 35-minute lunch break sounded, the whispers began.

 _"He looks so scary!"_

 _"He could probably crush me with his pinky!"_

 _"Goddess, what do they eat on that island?"_

 _"He looks like a fomor…"_

Karok's glare swept over a few of the students, silencing them, and then he stomped out the door without saying a word.

With a grin, Evie took the opportunity to grab her backpack and made for the door.

"H-hey! Evie, where are you going!" Lann called at her retreating back, but was summarily ignored. He turned to Fiona with a confused look, but the girl was staring out of the window thoughtfully.

* * *

 _Oh, there you are!_ Evie was breathing heavily when she rounded a corner and found Karok sitting on a bench behind the library building. He was looking down at something in his hand, but Evie couldn't tell what it was from how far away she was.

Evie took in a deep breath to calm herself down, straightened her back, and walked over to the boy. When she was close enough, she could see that Karok was basically being surrounded back a flock of pigeons and sparrows. The birds didn't seem to be afraid of him at all.

Karok's large hands reached out, and three sparrows landed in his palms with happy chirps.

"Hey, Karok!" Evie popped up by the boy's shoulder.

The birds scattered immediately, a few of them even angrily pecking at Evie's head before flying away.

"Ow! Oh… sorry. I just wanted to say hello to the birds too…" Pouting, Evie's grip on her backpack tightened as she sat down next to Karok, leaving half a foot of space between them.

"You're not afraid of me?" Karok turned to face her and leaned in almost _too_ close, and _wow his eyes are a really pretty green_.

"Nope! Why would I be?" Good thing Evie had no concept of personal space, either.

Karok turned away, his shoulders shaking minutely before he gave up and started laughing loudly. "Wow, that's the first… the first time anyone's ever said that to me!"

Evie stared before her lips twisted into a delighted grin and she could feel her cheeks starting to flush from how hard she was smiling. The relieved smile on his face and his carefree laugh were positively ADORABLE!

After a minute, Karok's laughing trailed off but his smile remained. "People generally don't like me because of my eyes. It looks like I'm glaring at them all the time, but I'm really not. I can't help how my face is."

"Why don't you say something, then? If they knew, they'd understand." Evie dug into her backpack and pulled out a tuna salad sandwich and a bag of pretzels.

"I… I don't like talking to people I don't know. I've lived on Crescent Moon Island for all my life, and it's small enough that everyone knew everyone there. This city is… it's just _huge_. I got lost just trying to find the school. I didn't think it was that far from the apartment I'm staying in right now."

"Where do you live?"

"A bed and breakfast next to an alchemist's shop – the Laboratory, I think. Mr. Ernmass and his daughter are nice enough to let me stay in one of their spare rooms."

"Oh, you live right by Brynn and Nyle's place! That's not far from the school at all! You probably just went down that one street that circles back. It's a tricky one." Evie pried open the bag of pretzels and offered first choice to Karok.

"Huh. That explains why I kept ending up back there three times." Karok took a few pieces, his hand barely fitting in the opening.

"I could show you the way back after school, if you want?"

"Really? Y-you'd do that?" Karok's cheeks turned slightly red. His skin was dark enough so it was hardly visible.

"Yeah, it's no problem. I live close by, too!" Evie stuffed a few pretzels into her mouth and chewed happily.

"Alright. If it's no trouble."

"Great! Before that, though, _you_ need to meet my friends!"

"Uhm, well—"

"Have you ever heard of _Captain Solair and the Treasure Hunters_?"

Karok scratched at his nose, uncertain. "…Is it that comic with the superhero pirates? I've read a little bit."

"Then you'll be fine! Lann _loves_ that comic, so you two will have plenty to talk about. Oh, what about baseball and soccer? Do you play?" Evie rubbed her hands together in glee.

"I used to, back on the island."

"Well then, you've already earned yourself massive points with Fiona, and you haven't even met her yet! Let's go, before lunch ends!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm home!" Evie kicked open the door to the apartment with a shout and a flourish.

A loud snore coming from the couch was her only answer.

Evie threw her backpack at the man sleeping on the couch. It landed perfectly on his face and Evie dive-bombed onto his legs.

"Mfphr!" Kai threw off the backpack, swatted away the fingers jabbing into his side, and kicked Evie onto the floor.

"Guess what~!?" Evie chirruped from her sprawl on the floor and then hopped back onto the couch, practically vibrating with energy.

"What." Kai sat up properly and ran his hands over his face.

"His name's Karok and he's just so _cute_ and his eyes are perfect, seriously they're so green like emeralds, and he smiled and laughed at me today and didn't mind when I scared away the birds and—"

Kai slapped his hand oven Evie's mouth.

Though muffled, she kept on talking.

Kai groaned and took his hand off once he could feel _spit_ starting to accumulate.

"—and he reads the same comics as Lann and Fiona now has someone to practice soccer with!" Evie inhaled air for about ten seconds straight and then slumped to the side, sprawling onto her older brother like some lazy squid.

"You have a problem." Kai stared at her like she'd just grown an extra head.

"It's not a problem, it's _LOVE_!" Evie laughed. "I think he likes me back, too!"

"…Didn't you just meet him yesterday?"

"He's a transfer student and the same age as Fiona! He came from _Crescent Moon Island_! I've never met anyone else from that place before!"

"So?"

Evie sighed dramatically. "He _smiled_ at me. _Smiled_. S-M-I-L-E-D! He's the one for me, I know it!"

"…I'm getting my shotgun." Kai stared at her some more, his expression changing from ' _What The Fuck_ ' to ' _Goddess Give Me Strength_.' He promptly stood up and stalked towards his bedroom.

"What? No! He's _decent_! He's not going to do anything to me that I wouldn't like!"

"…Where did I put my Titan again?"

"Kai, no!"

* * *

 **Three months later…**

"Hey Karok, can you help me take out the trash bins? I'll get the cardboard pile, since Fiona and Lann's collecting and sorting the painting stuff. The disposal site is just behind the cafeteria."

With a nod and a quick smile, Karok picked up the overflowing bins as if they weighed virtually nothing and ran off.

"Evie, you're amazing! You're not scared of him at all!" One of her classmates was picking up some bits and pieces of crumpled craft paper off the floor.

"Yeah, how'd you do it? Anyone else and it's like trying to be nice to a jaguar or a tiger." One of the other boys also helping out – mostly by putting away boxes of cleaned paint brushes – sidled up to her with an impressed look on his face.

"I'm not doing anything but being myself!" Evie hurriedly picked up the stack of unusable cardboard and zipped out of the classroom before anyone could see the hint of red staining her cheeks.

Karok had just about finished tossing all of the bags of trash into the disposal container when Evie arrived lugging her stacks of cardboard.

"Here, let me." Karok easily picked up the stacks and threw them into the recycling container. He brushed his hands clean with a grin.

While they were walking back to the classroom, Evie blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "We're watching _Captain Solair: The First Superhero_ on after school today, do you want to come?"

Karok's eyes widened in surprise before he shrugged a shoulder. "I'd like to, but I don't have any money."

"I can pay for your ticket and snacks. You'd be doing me a favor – with just Fiona and Lann, I usually end up as the third wheel. You know how many times I turn around and I'm suddenly in a first-row seat to them making out?"

"Yeah, it's like they never stop, do they?" Karok laughed. "I'll keep you company, then."

"Great! Let's get this darn project over with before five-thirty and we'll get to the next showing on time!" Evie grabbed Karok's arm and started walking faster.

Evie missed the blush that spread over Karok's face when she'd grabbed his arm.

* * *

Just as predicted, one hour into the movie and Fiona and Lann were already going at it. Luckily they were all sitting all the way in the back, so there weren't any people to give them evil stink eyes when Evie stuck her tongue out at them and stole all of their popcorn.

"Hey." Karok's massive elbow nudged her arm quite gently.

"Yeah?" Evie stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth, like a squirrel.

"Wanna kiss?"

"Y-yes, please." Evie's brain short-circuited.

A small package of chocolate Kisses dropped into her lap. "Tieve gave them to me this morning. I thought you'd like them, since I don't really eat chocolate all too much."

"O-oh. Thanks." Evie hoped that the her blush wasn't visible and she sprang out of her seat. "I'll be right back, I've gotta go to the ladies room."

Evie fast-walked to the ladies room, and it thankfully was empty except for an old woman refilling the paper towel dispenser. She went into the farthest stall, put the seat cover down, sat down, and then pulled out her cell phone from her purse.

One ring…

Two rings…

Three rings…

"You're lucky I'm on break right now, or I would've missed your call."

Tinny music and thumping bass. Someone flushing.

"Ew, are you in the bathroom right now? With all the drugs?"

"It's a club, what do you expect."

"…Hegavemeakiss."

"…You want to repeat that?"

"He gave me a kiss. A _chocolate_ kiss. I thought he was going to kiss me! Why are boys so _mean_!"

Silence.

Then, a hyena-like laugh that lasted for an entire minute.

"Hey! Stop laughing at me! Kai!"

"Evie." Kai abruptly stopped laughing. "If he's doing that, I'm 99.9% sure that he really likes you. Get off your ass and kiss him. I've got to get back to the bar now, so don't call me unless he does something incredibly stupid."

The call cut and Evie shoved her phone back into her purse. Bursting out from the stall, she ran over to the sink and made sure she look presentable before sprinting out of the restroom.

When she'd returned to the theater room, Fiona and Lann were _still_ going at it and Karok looked vaguely ill from what she could see whenever the lights flickered. Evie plopped back into her seat and beamed at Karok.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Karok smiled back and didn't look as uncomfortable anymore.

"Wanna kiss?"

"Sure?" She could see it now – there _definitely_ was a flush spreading across those dark cheeks and a nervous smile pulled at his lips.

Grinning, Evie pounced.


	4. Chapter 4

When Evie finally, _finally_ came home, she almost actually broke down the door to the apartment from the force of her slamming into it in her rush to open it.

"WE KISSED!"

"Good."

Evie did some sort of jiggly dance that in no way described _all_ of the excited buzzing her nerves were doing at the moment—

—and then she saw the massive pile of weaponry carefully organized on the coffee table.

"Kai! Don't you _dare_ scare him away!"

"I wasn't going to. I just had some time on my hands, and my guns looked a little dusty." Casually, Kai continued oiling his beloved Titan. The barrels of the gun were gleaming brilliant from a fresh polish that you could probably use it as a mirror, too.

"Ugh, fine, be that way. I'm going to bed!"

"I'll know if he shows up in your dreams."

" _Ugggh._ "

It was a long while until Evie could even settle down in her bed. She kept twisting this way and that, inwardly screaming in excitement from the fact that Karok liked her back _and_ they kissed today!

It was nearing three in the morning when a soft and soothing violin melody made its way through the walls of her bedroom, and only then was Evie able to close her eyes and doze off with a goofy smile that seemed permanently affixed to her lips.


End file.
